For the second time in 11 months, opponents of Supreme Court rulings lifting limits on money in political campaigns briefly disrupted proceedings in the courtroom and embarrassed the court by managing to get a camera past court security.
The protest Wednesday took place on the fifth anniversary of the court’s Citizen United ruling that freed corporations and labor unions to spend as much as they want on elections for Congress and president.
Supreme Court police arrested seven people who rose shortly after the justices took the bench and shouted brief statements. “One person, one vote,” said one protester.
An eighth person identified as Ryan Clayton was arrested with a camera, court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said.
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Laughter filled the courtroom and it seemed no one laughed louder than Justice Antonin Scalia, sitting next to the chief justice.
Scalia has a reputation as a bit of a leadfoot. In 2011, he was ticketed by U.S. Park Police for following too closely when he rear-ended the car in front of him and set off a four-car accident on the George Washington Parkway in suburban Virginia. No one was hurt.
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